2000 Volkswagen Bora Tdi 115 SE from UK and Ireland - Comments

In the year and a bit I've had the car the only thing that has gone wrong with it was a faulty brake pedal sensor, which meant that the brake lights weren't working. A dashboard warning came up so it was not too dangerous. Apart from that the only thing I've done to it is service it with oil and filters etc. Touch wood it has been by far the most reliable car I have owned.

The car is a January 2000 SE model Bora Tdi, with the Pump Duse engine putting out 115 bhp. It has a six speed gearbox, and all the SE toys such as a fuel computer and A/C etc. Overall it is a very well equipped car for the money.

I went for this model primarily for the engine / gearbox arangement. To get the same engine in a Golf would have cost me probably two thousand pounds more! I like the fact that if you get a 1999 Bora and a 2006 one, and take the numberplates off them, park them up to next to each other, only a trainspotter could tell them apart. I'm sure that will change in the near future though!

Not having owned a VW before I can confirm that this one certainly lives up to the VW tradition of being solid, chunky and well put together. The switches have a solid feel and the seats are comfortable.

I find this model to be a very strong performer, pulling strongly from low revs (that all important range). How many people actually redline their cars from sets of red lights in all gears? (Too many possibly I know). Anyhow in the real World it's more than adequate. I've no complaints, the car pulls off quick, and surges forward with the slightest lag. On a brim to brim check of my fuel consumption with mixed driving I was avergaing 49.8 mpg. Not bad for a car of this size.

The only gripes I could mention are the gearbox and suspension. When cold the gearbox feels notchy and doesn't like quick changes. You learn to live with this and take your time, which resolves the problem. I have been told that the problem comes from trying to cram so much into a small box. As for the ride, the car can seem to clunk over potholes sometimes. I don't know why that is. Some big potholes don't phase it, but other smaller ones shake the old bones?

The car has airbags coming out of its ears, and as I'm about to become a Father I will be much more comfortable putting a child in this than something less substantial.

Overall the car still looks brand new, is fast when you need it, is very economical and has lots of nice touches such as the 6 speed gearbox which mean its virtually silent at 70 mph (just on 2000 rpm). I also like the indigo dials. I intend to keep mine for a long time, and if they are all as good as this one I would deffinately get a newer VW diesel when the time comes. Thanks for reading.

Excellent write up on the VW Bora 1.9TDI PD 115 bhp (115 CV). I am comtemplating buying one pretty soon.

Do NOT BUY THIS CAR... gave me nothing, but problems... worst invest ment ever!! buy a chevy.

The car is great. I have had mine for 13 months now, with 13 months trouble free motoring. Also the car is very tuneable with a simple remap you can get over 40bhp. Very quick when remapped.

I have had a 2002 130bhp se bora for 3 weeks now and it has been in the garage for 2 of them, although the week I have had it was happy driving, too many problems for me.

Hello again, thought I'd update you with my continued ownership experiences of my VW Bora. The car has averaged just over 48 miles per gallon over the last few thousand miles. I find that very good considering the vast majority of my driving is urban, non motorway commuting.

Everything still works, and touch wood, it will keep on doing so. I have had no breakdowns or failures. One thing I would mention is the suspension seems (still) loud and clunking when going over bumps / sleeping policemen etc. It is definitely (albeit very slowly) getting worse. I suppose I will have to actually spend some money on this car soon and invest in new shock absorbers or whatever is causing the problem?

The car still performs well, but could I think benefit from a new MAF (Mass Airflow Meter) which is a simple and cost effective way to refresh these cars performance.

Thanks for reading.

Hi.

Original poster here. Update. Car still going strong. Recently replaced rear sub frame bushes at about 160 pounds, fitted. Massively tightened things up and much better over bumps. Also replaced the Mass air flow meter. WOW, what a difference. It has never been so punchy, responsive, willing to rev and dam right fast. I never thought it was slow to begin with, but the change was instant. Highly recommend changing this. My car now on 85 000 miles. Still very economical. Still recommended.